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How to Increase Your Stamina

Building your stamina, whether it’s for an upcoming race or a personal goal, takes time and consistency. General exercise guidelines recommend that you engage in 30 or more minutes of moderate intensity physical activity about five days a week, combined with a few days of resistance training or weight lifting. The key to maintaining this kind of routine is variety! Not only does it keep things interesting for you, but it can also improve your speed and endurance to switch up your exercises.

The two main areas where you’ll want to increase your stamina are in endurance (think running or cycling) and strength (weight lifting).

Endurance

Initially focus on volume – when you get to about 20 miles per week of running, increase your distance by 10% per week.

Then focus on increasing your pace with mild rises in speed per week.

Weight lifting

For daily strength development, lift about 40-60% of your max weight, or the heaviest weight that you can lift.

To up the intensity, increase the weight to closer to your max.

Rest – give yourself at least one rest day in between workouts. You can alternate days so you give each muscle group a day’s rest, such as doing upper body one day and lower body the next.